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0. w. TAFT.

I. Heater for Skates. No. 51, 192. v Patented Dec. 12, .1865.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrce.

OWEN W. TAFT, OF NEW YORK, N.Y.

HEATER FOR SKATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent .No. 51,492, dated December 12, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, OWEN \V. TAFT, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Skates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan or top view of the same, and Fig 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same;

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of skates on which a patent has been granted to me 4th July, 1865, numbered 48,601, and which are provided with a heating attachment, whereby the feet of the skater can be kept warm.

Instead of having the heatingchamber attached to the foot-plate in such a manner that access can be had to it through the foot-plate only, or when the skate is removed from the foot, in the improved skate the heating-chamber is so constructed that access can be had to its interior without removing the foot from the foot-plate, either by making the entire heatingchamber detachable from the foot-plate, or by making the same movable, so that it can be partially or wholly drawn or turned out from under the foot-plate, or by providing the same with one or more movable sides, through which access can be had to its interior. The footplate, instead of being cast, is stamped out of sheet metal, and, in order to obtain the requisite strength, is provided with a flange or rim, extending clear round its edge. And in order to enable the operator to control the heat of the heatin g attachment, a lamp is inserted into the heatin g-chamber, and so arranged that it can be lighted through the side of said chamber, and without removing the same from the foot.

A represents the foot-plate of my skate, which is made of sheet metal as thin as possible, so that the heat from the heating-chamber B passes freely through the same to the feet of the skater; and in order to obtain the requisite strength for said foot-plate, 1 construct it with a rim or flange, to, extending all around its edge, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The heating-chamber B is secured to the under surface of the foot-plate by means of a bracket, 1), which catches over a lip, 0, project ing from the front end of the chamber, and bya latch, d, which extends over a lip, c, on the rea end of the chamber, and which can be turner back, so that said chamber can be readily removed from the foot-plate without detaching the foot-plate from the foot.

Instead of making the entire chamber de tachable from the foot-plate, it might be mad to move out by means of a swivel or slide; 01 one or more doors might be applied in its sides, through which access could be had to the interior of the heating-chamber without removing the skate from the foot.

This heating-chamber is divided into two compartments, one to receive the lamp 0 and the other to hold the heater D, which is made of soapstone or any other suitable material capable of retaining heat. From the lamp extends the wick-tube E under the heater,and a series of holes in the ends and sides of the chamber allow the atmospheric air to pass freely to the flame and the products of combustion to pass off.

One or more holes,f, in the sides of the chamber are made of such a size that a lighted match can be inserted through them, in order to light the lamp whenever it may be desirable, and this hole or holes are furnished with hinged doors, so that they can be wholly or partially closed to prevent the flame being blown out.

By this arrangement the skater has control over the heating attachment, and the temperature of the heater can be increased or renewed at any moment, and without removing the skate from the foot, simply by lighting the lamp.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. So constructing the heating-chamberand combining it with the foot-plate that access can be had to its interior without removing the foot from the foot-plate, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The rim or flange at, extending all round the edge of the foot-plate, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The arrangement of the lamp (3 and heater D, in combination with the heating-chamber B and foot-plate A, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses: OWEN W. TAFT.

M. M. LIVINGSTON, O. L. ToPLIFF. 

